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Hello to the Manzanita community and prospective families, my name is Halli Pedersen. I first visited Manzanita Public Charter School as a curious teacher and parent. I was immediately inspired by the warmth and friendliness of the staff, parents, and students who greeted me. I was very fortunate to be invited to serve as a long-term substitute teacher in Kindergarten at Manzanita. This was such a valuable experience for me! I learned what it means to be a Manzanita Scholar and most importantly, I learned that Manzanita is exactly where my son and I belong. I then became a full-time teacher at Manzanita, starting in Kindergarten.
It is an honor for me to teach First Grade at Manzanita this year. I am looking forward to guiding my students in discovery and in learning to be scholars, celebrating their accomplishments and milestones, and learning from each one of them as well.
I have more than ten years of experience in elementary education, including seven years as a Park Naturalist for the Santa Barbara County Parks Department, and several positions within the Lompoc Unified School District. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. I participated in the UC Education Abroad Program, attending the University of San Jose in Costa Rica for one semester. I am bilingual in English and Spanish. I earned my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential through Chapman University and recently became certified as a Reading Recovery teacher.
I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, though I have happily lived in Lompoc for more than ten years. I live with my husband, Dan, our son, Erik, and my stepdaughter, Taylor. I love to read, and will read the back of a cereal box if that is all that’s available. But most of all, I find my sense of peace and adventure out in nature; hiking, tide pooling, kayaking, birding, and exploring new territory. Thanks to Erik, I also enjoy trains, tractors, excavators, and monster trucks. I can’t wait to meet my new students and see the wonders of the world through their eyes too!
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